I’m going to keep this review as simple as this short, delightful collection of holiday poetry. In this series of short poems, Flore captures moments of Christmas celebration, triumph and defeat. In his minimal memories of even commonplace moments of Christmas past, the author provokes nostalgia without rose-colored glasses.

The simplicity of the pieces makes them a window into personal Christmas memories. I found that I was looking through the poems into my own past holidays. The book ends by inspiring readers to create their own poetry, a gift they can give themselves.

Flore says it best himself in a note to his readers:

Literature about the holiday season has always helped me to feel closer to that sometimes elusive entity – the Christmas spirit. It is my hope that this little book of Christmas haikus will do the same for you and your loved ones. Many of these poems are simply little thoughts, images, or memories of mine and none of them were written with the traditional haiku form in mind. Some may not be what you expect. After all, aren’t tiny surprises part of what makes this holiday so endearing?

Dan Flore's poems have appeared in many publications, including Sick Lit Magazine and Lummox. His first poetry collection, Lapping Water, is published by GenZ Publishing.